THE FINANCIER
humiliate and drive home to the incoming prisoner the
fact that all sense of social connection was hereby ended.
The hood was intended to destroy all sense of association
with fellow-prisoners, and by preventing a sense of location
and direction obviate any attempt to escape. Thereafter
during all his stay he was not supposed to walk with or
talk to or see another prisoner—or even, to any extent,
converse with his superiors, except as the latter were
compelled to instruct him. It was a grim theory, and was
really worked out to a very notable extent, although when
it came to actual practice there were modifications, as
there are in every theory.
"You'll have to put this on'," Kuby said, and opened
it in such a way that it could be put over Cowperwood's
head.
The latter understood. He had heard of it in some
way, in times past—not through Steger, but in some
general gossip. Little had he ever thought that this
would come to him. All his wealth, all his shrewdness
had not been able to prevent it, apparently. He was a
little shocked—looked at it first with a touch of real
surprise, but a moment after lifted his hands and helped
pull it down.
"Never mind," cautioned the guard, "put your hands
down. I'll get it over."
Cowperwood dropped his arms. When it was fully on,
it came to about his chest, giving him little means of see-
ing anything. He felt very strange, very humiliated, very
downcast. This simple thing of a blue-and-white-striped
bag over his head almost cost him his sense of self-posses-
sion. Why could not they have spared him this indignity?
he thought.
" This way," said his attendant, and, without seeing
anything more of Kendall or his assistants or the room
or the path he was following, he was led out—to where
he could not say.
"If you hold it out in front you can see to walk," said
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